The Judgment of Paris was a historic wine tasting event that took place in Paris in 1976. The event pitted Californian wines against some of France's most celebrated wines, and the surprising outcome revolutionized the wine industry and put California wine on the map.
The idea for the tasting came from Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant living in Paris. Spurrier was looking for a way to promote his wine shop, and he hit on the idea of organizing a blind tasting of French and American wines. He enlisted the help of some of France's most respected wine experts to serve as judges and chose a panel of nine French judges and one British judge.
The tasting took place on May 24, 1976, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris. The judges blind-tasted 10 Chardonnays and 10 Cabernet Sauvignons, with five from California and five from France. The French wines were all from famous vineyards in Burgundy and Bordeaux, while the California wines were from lesser-known vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. In the white wine category, the French wines were a 1973 Meursault Charmes, a 1973 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles, and a 1973 Batard-Montrachet from Maison Joseph Drouhin. The American entries were a 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and a 1973 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay. In the red wine category, the French wines were a 1970 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion, a 1970 Chateau Montrose, a 1959 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, and a 1959 Chateau Haut-Brion. The American entries were a 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1973 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon.
To everyone's surprise, the wines from California came out on top in both the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon categories. The winning wines were the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and the 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, both from Napa Valley.
The results of the tasting caused shockwaves in the wine world. The French judges were incredulous and accused Spurrier of rigging the results, but the tasting was conducted blind, and the results were clear. The California wines had beaten some of France's most famous wines in a blind tasting conducted by French experts.
The Judgment of Paris changed the perception of California wines forever. Before the tasting, French wines were considered the gold standard of wine, and California wines were seen as cheap imitations. But the tasting proved that California wines could compete with the best wines in the world, and it opened up a new market for California wines.
The Judgment of Paris had a profound impact on the wine industry. It not only proved that California wines could compete with the best wines in the world, but also gave rise to the "New World" wine movement, where winemakers in countries like Australia, Chile, and South Africa began producing high-quality wines that could compete with the best wines from Europe.